The Inner Circle
by Ice-Princess-Amber
Summary: This really was never supposed to see daylight, but oh well... Circle Starlight battles a rival group for territory control and their lives.
1. Trouble brewing...

1 The Inner Circle  
  
Amber Johnson awoke to see daylight waning and dusk coming on fast. A timid knock sounded on her door as a voice called out to her: "Amber, it's time to get up!"  
  
"Get a life, Derrick!" she shot back playfully. The top of a reddish- brown head poked into the room. The younger boy's jade-green eyes were sparkling with mischief.  
  
"Did you forget what today is?" he asked seriously. Amber tilted her head and looked quizzically at her little brother.  
  
"What's today?" Derrick sighed and put his hands on his hips. It was meant to be a chiding look, but Amber only giggled.  
  
"You promised to get me inducted into the Circle." All at once Amber remembered. Derrick was fourteen, three years her junior. Amber and her friends had formed a group two years ago so they could have a say in local politics. She had promised to include her baby brother in the group when he was old enough. Tonight he was finally old enough.  
  
"All right, let's go." Five minutes later they were dressed and cruising down the roads towards Angel's house. The motorcycle zipped down the street while Derrick clung tightly to his sister's waist. Angel's house stood like a blue-gray sentinel, guarding the wooded park behind it. They hopped off the bike and walked up the steps, where Amber knocked on the white door. Derrick was eyeing the three cars in the driveway, especially the black Ferrari, when Angel Redfern opened the door.  
  
"Well, look who finally showed up," she teased. Her eyes swept over them, changing color from anxious violet to calm sea-green. Angel played with a strand of curly light-brown hair, allowing it to fall to her hips again. She and Amber led Derrick into the living room. At their entrance ten pairs of eyes turned towards them. Amber sat down among three boys, looking very comfortable in their presence. One took her hand and continued to stare at Derrick in curiosity, his steel-gray eyes fixed on the young man.  
  
"Hello Derrick," he greeted politely. Derrick nodded respectfully.  
  
"Hi Marik," he replied quietly, staring at the older teen. Amber ran her hand through Marik's dark-brown hair, making it stick up in places.  
  
"Don't scare him," she teasingly ordered. With a sigh she leaned back into another boy. His black eyes seemed lifeless at first, but a glimmer of affection changed that. His reddish-brown hair was only a shade lighter than Derrick's, but was thicker and silkier, at least in Amber's opinion. The third boy of the quartet sat a little to the side but rested his head on Amber's knee. Eyes of emerald peeked through the shock of coal-black hair that fell across his face. Although none of the boys were dating the young woman, he still didn't like sharing her. But she made up for it when it was just them.  
  
"Hi Daemon. Hello Jason," Derrick addressed each boy in turn. A young girl patted the seat next to her and Derrick sat down, meeting her smoke- gray eyes for a moment. Blaise Harman fluffed out her shoulder-length hair, as black as the darkest night. Her bright and innocent smile had snared many a man before, but Derrick wasn't a man quite yet.  
  
"Can we get started?" an impatient voice wanted to know. The teen who had spoke stared at his friends through amber eyes while he stroked the top of the young girl's head that was in his lap. Her sunshine-blonde hair was like a curtain of golden silk across her face. A look of complete contentment sat dreamily on her lips.  
  
"Kat," Angel whispered to her. She didn't respond. "Katarina," she called again. Still nothing. "Hey, kitty-witch!" The girl sat bolt upright, eyes wide open. She brushed her hair away from her face, exposing purple irises. Kat reached up and tussled her boyfriend's dirty-blonde hair, which just messed it up even further.  
  
"Austin, just hold your horses." Austin sat back with a huff, but he smiled at the pretty girl in his arms.  
  
"Okay, I call this meeting to order," Angel addressed the entire group. With a few last whispers everyone quieted down. The young man next to Angel spoke up.  
  
"What's first on the agenda for tonight, Angel?" His voice sounded like melodious chimes, while at the same time held a note of deeper and darker things.  
  
"Why don't you ask our Chronicler?" another boy asked from the back of the room. Amber turned around and met familiar hazel eyes. Her smile widened as he ran a hand through his shaggy hair. Its color went from brown to black depending on how the light hit it.  
  
"Well hi, Sage. Didn't see you three sitting all the way back there," she told him. He tsked her in a teasing way while the couple next to him smiled at their friend. Derrick glanced back towards the shadowy wall as well. He recognized Sage Carter, the calm, rational teen who was wise beyond his seventeen years. But he had never seen the young couple before, and he had an uneasy feeling about the guy, almost as if he didn't belong in this group. Amber took out a thick notebook and a pen, reading to them from the last entry she'd made.  
  
"It was decided at our last meeting by unanimous vote to induct into this Circle one Derrick Johnson-"  
  
"Is there more than one?" the boy next to Sage interrupted. Olive eyes and a puff of orange hair clashed horribly with his freckles. The young woman beside him shook her head, allowing her red ringlets to swing freely. They quickly settled back to the tops of her shoulders.  
  
"Peter, let Amber finish," she scolded. Peter Augustine smiled playfully at her but kept his mouth shut. Ruby Kitritch smiled at Amber using only her jade-green eyes. The younger girl nodded and continued.  
  
"So pertaining to our decision last time, the induction ceremony will now take place," she told the twelve teens. The room was suddenly plunged into complete darkness.  
  
"Thank you, Julian," Angel commented to the boy next to her. His moonlight-white hair shined like a beacon in the dark room. Julian's blue eyes glittered, making it hard to judge their actual color.  
  
"Anything for you, my angel," he replied with his chiming voice. Daemon snaked his arm around Amber's waist, drawing her a little closer. Angel stood in the center of the room; all eyes focused on her.  
  
"Two years ago seven of us created this group, Circle Starlight. We faced hazards and came out even stronger. Tonight when we induct Derrick we will also retake our own oaths to this Circle and each other. Let's begin." Amber shot a quick look at her brother and he immediately stood up.  
  
"I'm ready," he said bravely, even though his voice cracked a little.  
  
"Recite the oath," Angel ordered gently.  
  
"I, Derrick Johnson, solemnly swear to uphold the Laws of the Night World and of Circle Starlight. I pledge my life to protecting this group, my new family." As soon as he was done speaking everyone stood up and recited the oath as well.  
  
"I now declare Derrick Johnson the newest member of Circle Starlight!" Angel said enthusiastically. Cheers went up all over the room as the girls hugged him and the guys shook his hand.  
  
"Let's go celebrate," Daemon suggested. Jason jumped up excitedly as Sage flicked on the lights.  
  
"All right, a hunt!" the green-eyed teen shouted. They all went out the back door into the cool night, allowing the full moon to light their way into the thick woods.  
  
"There should be a herd of deer somewhere around here," Kat said out loud. They stepped into a clearing and beheld a glorious sight. Twenty deer stood grazing on the dew-covered grass. Sage, Jason, and Ruby moved away from the group while Angel, Amber, Marik, Austin, and Derrick moved the other way. The remaining teens melted back into the bushes. Sage led his small group around to a position behind the herd. Angel's group went to the side. A sudden howl broke through the silent night and spooked the deer. Two black wolves and a red wolf took off in pursuit of one while Angel, Amber, and Marik picked out another. Austin and Derrick chased after a third animal. The three wolves caught their prey and tore into it, savoring the taste of fresh venison. Angel leaped over the deer's head to land in front of it, forcing the frightened animal to stop short. Marik and Amber dove on it from both sides. They all positioned themselves over its neck and felt their canines extend to delicate, needle-like points. The three vampires fed on the thrashing deer, Amber watching her brother and Austin bag their own catch.  
  
"Good job," Angel congratulated her two friends as she licked a drop of blood off her mouth. She met Amber's ice-blue eyes and saw pride in them. Derrick was now a full member of CS. Peter came up with the red wolf at his side.  
  
"I'll always be a watcher," he complained. The wolf stood up on its hind legs and twisted itself around until Ruby stood at Peter's side. Other than her slightly tussled hair, she looked perfect. Sage and Jason came over as well, brushing dirt off their clothes. Julian materialized out of the darkness to stand beside Angel. Daemon, Blaise, and Kat came walking up to join the group. Daemon ran his hands through Amber's ice-blonde hair, watching it fall to the middle of her back in silky strands. Blaise and Kat sent a small fireball into the sky, watching it send a shower of fireworks across the night sky.  
  
"That was cool," Derrick said to his new friends. Austin slapped him across the back, a wide grin on his face.  
  
"You did good, kid." The two smiled at each other, remembering the adrenaline rush. Derrick looked at all the faces of the other teens. Angel Redfern was a powerful lamia, even at eighteen. Coming from one of the most powerful and oldest vampire families, it was actually no surprise. She and Amber had started the Circle, and their close friendship had blossomed even further. Angel had even adopted Derrick as her younger brother, as she was an only child herself. The mysterious boy who was always at her side was Julian. Derrick only knew that he was a Shadow Man, and therefore older than time. He didn't want to ever get on Julian's bad side. Blaise Harman, the beautiful and dangerous witch, was a loyal friend to all who knew her. She specialized in bringing boys to their knees, a trait she seemed to have been born with. Katarina Vatavitch, the small Russian witch, was both child and teenager. Her childish looks combined with her intelligence to make her a very interesting person.  
  
"Peter, we've already been through this. You can't become a Night Worlder. Just be happy being a human telepath," Sage was saying. Sage Carter was the wise Old-Soul, having been around in one form or another for thousands of years. This time around he was a werewolf. Jason Lidonne and Ruby were the other two wolves in the group. Ruby was a dancing seductress, using her animal grace to her advantage. She was almost as good as Blaise in snaring boys. Peter had fallen in love with her not just because of her looks and feminine wiles, but because Ruby was also one smart cookie. Jason was the introvert of the three. He only really spoke up when Amber, Marik, or Daemon were around. His small sub-group was as diverse as the whole Circle. He was the wolf, Daemon the witch, and Marik and Amber the vampires. Jason was a good listener and followed Angel or Amber's orders without question. Daemon Flash handled the magic aspect of the group. At twenty he was older than everyone with the exception of Julian. Although he was older than Kat or Blaise, he had to listen to them. Witch women ruled their families, and while boys were a welcome change to daughters, the men always obeyed the women. That made it easy for him to listen to Angel and Amber.  
  
"Come on, Derrick! We're heading back!" Blaise called back. He jogged to catch up and walked next to her. Kat and Austin were walking hand in hand on his other side. Austin Tyler was the younger of the two brothers. His looks made him appear twelve or so, which made him and Kat a perfect couple. He was a goof-around who rarely took anything seriously, but when the need arose he was immense help. Austin had befriended Derrick two years ago when Marik had begun hanging around with Amber. Marik Tyler was the older and more rational of the two. At nineteen he was younger than only Daemon and Julian. As a lamia, a born vampire, Marik tried to rule over the girls. Unfortunately, they were all too independent to take orders from him. And Amber usually put him in his place anyway. While Angel ruled the entire group, Derrick was sure his sister's "harem" was loyal to her a little bit more.  
  
"Home sweet home," Angel commented as they reached her backyard. They were about to go inside when suddenly they all felt a strange power signature. Something was out there in the darkness, and it didn't seem very friendly. Derrick stopped short while Austin pulled Kat to a halt beside him. The hair on the back of Ruby's neck was standing straight up and Sage started silently sniffing the wind. Jason growled softly as Amber began scanning the darkness. Julian vanished into the shadows, searching for danger. Marik came up behind Amber and listened carefully for any strange noises. Angel stood in a slight fighting stance, ready to attack or retreat at a moment's notice. Blaise and Kat moved up onto the deck while Daemon grabbed Peter and followed. When the witches and the human were safely out of the way, Angel called out into the darkness.  
  
"Come out and show yourselves!" Laughter followed her command, grating on the group's nerves.  
  
"Make us!" a voice taunted as more laughter was heard. Amber stiffened and grabbed Marik and Jason's hands.  
  
"What's wrong?" Jason wanted to know.  
  
"I know that voice."  
  
"Who is it?" Marik asked gently.  
  
"The cheetah-bitch." Both boys stared into her eyes, seeing only cold ice where color had once been. The Ice Princess was back. Derrick's eyes widened as he saw people emerging from the shadows. A girl with wheat- blonde hair down to her shoulders stood by Angel's front gate. Her grass- green eyes matched her smirking mouth, which was a cherry-red from all her lipstick. She met Amber's eyes and her eyes probably couldn't have smirked any more without exploding.  
  
"Hello Gepard," Angel addressed the girl in a flat tone.  
  
"Hi Angel, long time no see." Jason and Marik had a firm grip on Amber's hands, keeping her in one spot. Daemon came up behind her and looped his arms around her waist. Kat stood beside Austin and took his hand while Blaise draped a casual arm over Derrick's shoulders. Ruby looped her arms around Peter, hugging him tight. Julian reappeared beside Angel, startling a few of Gepard's group.  
  
"What do you want, Gepard?" Amber demanded, her words clipped and harsh. The younger girl pulled back in mock hurt.  
  
"There's no need to be nasty, Amber. What did I ever do to you?" she asked innocently. The three boys all held Amber tightly. She just turned around and whispered to them:  
  
"I do have some self-control." Gepard and two others moved up to stand in front of Angel. The girl had thick black hair that was pinned to the top of her head with a silver clip. Her eyes seemed to be made of pure obsidian, glinting in the harsh yellow of the porch light. The boy had bleach-blonde hair, clearly from a bottle. Sky-blue eyes stared down menacingly at all of them. Amber moved to stand beside Angel and Julian while the others fanned out. Daemon, Marik, and Jason stayed near Amber.  
  
"What do you want, Gepard?" Angel echoed. She was starting to get annoyed. Gepard looked at her comrades for a moment before answering.  
  
"I want my place in the Circle restored. And I want my new friends to be able to join."  
  
"You know that's not possible. After you attacked Amber and Marik we told you not to come back. You're not welcome here, Gepard," Julian bluntly pointed out.  
  
"But you need me," the young 'shifter argued. Amber stared at her.  
  
"No we don't, bitch."  
  
"Don't talk to her like that," another high voice scolded. The dark- haired girl had finally spoken.  
  
"Who are you?" Blaise demanded, putting one hand on her hip. Gepard smiled mockingly at the beautiful witch.  
  
"This is Shadoe. And this sexy hunk of muscle is Cody. And I believe you know my other friend," she introduced as another girl walked into the light. Her curly, flaming-red hair gave the illusion of a crown of fire around her head. Eyes of mahogany held a secret smile. Angel stared at her in mild shock. It was a rare day that anything shocked Angel.  
  
"Corinne?" The young made-vampire threw back her head and laughed harshly, like there was a secret joke going on.  
  
"Hi Angel, did you miss me?" Then she turned to Amber. "Tyrna says hi." Derrick and his sister both narrowed their eyes and glared at her. Tyrna Goddard was Amber's childhood friend and like a third sister to Derrick. What was going on?  
  
"If you hurt her Corinne, I swear I'll do the same to you," Amber threatened. Gepard and Corinne laughed at her, the horrible tones echoing into the darkness.  
  
"Get lost, cheetah," Ruby said with scorn. Corinne hissed at her, but Jason and Ruby just growled back.  
  
"Leave while you still can," Austin advised bitterly. Gepard stared at him for a moment.  
  
"Anything for you, Austin. And by the way Angel, Circle Starglow challenges Circle Starlight for area control. Tomorrow at eight o'clock in the clearing. I look forward to seeing Derrick there too." With those words she and her crew vanished silently into the night. Amber resisted the urge to follow her ex-best friend. She would wait until tomorrow night to exact her revenge. Angel faced the group with a stern look on her face.  
  
"Everyone inside now," she ordered. No one argued. Austin locked the front door while Derrick, Peter, Sage, and Marik locked the windows and pulled down the shades. Daemon, Kat, and Blaise put wards around the entire house, which would warn them if anyone tried to break in. Jason, Julian, Ruby, Amber, and Angel pulled out cots, pillows, blankets, and also uncovered the emergency clothes. Tonight there would be safety in numbers. Everyone sat down in a jumble to think and talk about what had just happened, and what they were going to do about it.  
  
"What was that all about?" Derrick asked the question they were all thinking about. Angel and Amber glanced at each other in silent understanding before looking at their little brother.  
  
"Brace yourself, honey. It's a long story," Angel finally replied. They all got comfortable as she narrated the tale of treachery and betrayal.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
1.1 


	2. The back story...

1.1.1 Chapter 2  
  
1.1.2  
  
1.1.3 "Gepard was part of the Circle when it first began. It was myself, Amber, and her who ran CS. Pretty soon Marik, Austin, Sage, and Peter came along. Kat and Julian were next in line, followed by Blaise. Ruby, Jason, and Daemon were latecomers, and now Derrick. Right after Jason and Daemon showed up Gepard decided Amber had too many men."  
  
1.1.4 "Of course it didn't matter that Peter and Ruby were dating, Kat and Austin were becoming closer, Angel had Julian, or that I was still the best boy-catcher this side of the universe," Blaise commented.  
  
1.1.5 "Too true. Well the only ones who would give Gepard a second glance were Marik and Austin," Angel continued.  
  
1.1.6 "What were you smoking?" Derrick asked in astonishment. The two brothers hung their heads and blushed a deep crimson. Angel tapped her foot and Derrick let her finish.  
  
1.1.7 "Anyway, Gepard tried to steal both of them. When Amber and Kat told her off, she vowed to get even. Marik and Amber were walking home one night a couple of months ago when Gepard jumped them in full shifted form, attacking them in a complete ambush."  
  
1.1.8 "We managed to fight her off, but she scarred us both," Marik told them. He lifted up the navy-blue T-shirt, exposing four claw marks directly over his heart. Amber's right arm bore similar marks. Derrick remembered the night she had come home with her clothes a torn and bloody mess with Marik right behind her in the same state of disarray.  
  
1.1.9 "And now the bitch is back. No offense, Ruby," Peter quickly added. She flashed him a toothy grin.  
  
1.1.10 "None taken."  
  
1.1.11 "So now that we all know the whole story, what are we going to do about Gepard and Circle Starglow?" Daemon wondered.  
  
1.1.12 "Well, first we must answer her challenge," Julian observed. Immediately there was a clamor of arguing.  
  
1.1.13 "We can't fight her!" Kat cried out. She was still remembering the night when Amber and Marik had been attacked. If that had been her, she could have been a cheetah by now.  
  
1.1.14 "Her group is almost all 'shifters!" Austin added. He knew the three witches and Peter would be in danger if they fought them.  
  
1.1.15 "Corinne knows how to fight," Sage brought up.  
  
1.1.16 "So do we," Ruby countered.  
  
1.1.17 "We have to teach her a lesson," Marik pointed out.  
  
1.1.18 "I owe her a few scars," Amber added through clenched teeth. Angel clapped her hands for attention and silence enveloped the room. That trick never ceased to amaze the young woman.  
  
1.1.19 "Look, since we all can't agree I need to remind you of something. We all took an oath and pledged our lives to protecting each other. And more importantly, do you want these psychos in charge of this town?"  
  
1.1.20 "NO!" came the unanimous response. Angel smiled slightly.  
  
1.1.21 "Good. Now everyone get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." She lay down on top of Julian, allowing him to stroke her wealth of thick hair. Sage shifted and curled up into a ball, his head resting lightly on his paws. Peter fell asleep next to his friend with Ruby's arm around his waist. Austin and Kat drifted off with their arms around each other. Blaise rested her head on Derrick's chest, causing the younger teen to blush. He looked over at Amber, who was sleeping with her head on Daemon's chest. Marik and Jason had their heads in her lap, her arms resting on their shoulders.  
  
1.1.22 "Goodnight Amber," he whispered. She opened one eye and smiled.  
  
1.1.23 "Goodnight," she replied as his eyes closed. 'He's so young. Maybe I shouldn't let him fight tomorrow,' she thought to herself. Angel's voice popped into her mind.  
  
1.1.24 'He's not a baby anymore, Amber. He's part of the group now and has as much right to fight tomorrow as Peter or the witches. He'll survive, trust me,' she reassured her friend. Amber just nodded and fell asleep listening to the three boys' deep breathing. They would all need all of their strength for the upcoming battle. 


	3. Round 1...

Chapter 3  
  
Angel woke everyone up at 3 p.m. "Rise and shine, my minions," her lilting voice called out. Amber sat up and yawned, shaking Marik and Jason.  
  
"What?" Marik whined, always wanting to sleep more. Jason rolled over onto his back and met Amber's eyes for a moment.  
  
"Wake up, sleepyheads," Kat said softly. Amber tousled Jason's dark hair as she stood up, leaving Marik to lie on the plush wine carpet. Austin jumped on his brother and the two wrestled for a minute. Sage yawned and shook himself, shifting back to human form.  
  
"When's lunch?" he asked casually. Angel stood up and stared down at him for a brief moment.  
  
"Whenever you decide to make it." A few people laughed at her reply as they began to get dressed. Derrick borrowed a shirt from Austin, preferring his own blue-jean shorts to Marik's extra pair.  
  
"Mets suck," he commented, surveying the large logo.  
  
"Hey, take it or leave it," the older boy shot back. No one was really hungry, so they decided to practice for the fight. Amber took out her quarterstaff and handed Angel hers. The girls set to working on some hand-to-hand combat. Marik and Daemon grabbed their swords and strapped the scabbards to their backs. The silver blades were three feet long and sharp as anything. The gold-plated hilts added a nice contrast. Kat and Ruby had silver throwing stars while Blaise had a simple steel hunting knife. Sage and Jason both had bows along with a quiver of silver-tipped, wooden arrows strapped to their backs. Julian didn't need a weapon, as he could turn someone's fears against them. Peter carried a large Bowie knife at his side while Austin and Derrick each had two-foot daggers that matched their friends' swords perfectly.  
  
"Cool," Derrick commented as Amber handed him the deadly weapon, a bright smile on his face.  
  
"You're going to need it tonight, so go and practice with Austin," she replied. Austin patted her shoulder lightly.  
  
"Don't worry, he'll be an expert by tonight." Angel twirled her staff over her head a few times.  
  
"Just make sure he knows enough to keep himself alive tonight," she cautioned. Austin nodded obediently and took Derrick to a quiet corner to work. Sage came up and bowed his head at Angel, signaling that he wanted to talk. "Yes Sage?"  
  
"I must speak with you about the fight tonight."  
  
"Okay, so talk."  
  
"Do you think it's safe for Peter or the witches to go? If Gepard and her people bite them, they'll be 'shifters." Angel sighed heavily. She had been hoping this argument wouldn't come up.  
  
"Ruby will watch Peter, Austin will protect Kat, and Amber's crew will look out for Daemon," she explained to him.  
  
"What about Blaise?"  
  
"You and Derrick keep an eye on her. Now go and do some target practice." Sage saluted her with a serious look on his face.  
  
"Yes ma'am." She looked at him as he went over to Jason. He was so confusing, but Angel never bothered to figure out Old-Souls. Kat and Ruby were practicing their aim and talking to Blaise and Peter.  
  
"Blaise, maybe we should bow out of the fight," Kat suggested. Blaise stopped in mid-throw and stared at the younger girl.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because almost all of Circle Starglow is 'shifters. If they bite us…" she left the sentence unfinished. Peter threw his knife and watched it hit the center of the target.  
  
"Why are you so worried, Kat? Austin will protect you." Kat nodded thoughtfully at his statement. Peter had a point. Austin would give his life if it meant saving her. She had nothing to worry about.  
  
"You're right, Peter. I'm sorry I brought it up." Ruby patted her shoulder and smiled sympathetically.  
  
"You have a right to be concerned, Kat. After all, you don't want to become a real kitty-witch," she teased. Katarina giggled and smiled at Austin. He waved and smiled back. Daemon leaned against a large oak while Marik lay on a branch five feet above his head.  
  
"So what's your take on this whole challenge thing?" Daemon asked him. Marik flipped over onto his stomach and rested his chin on his arms.  
  
"I don't trust Gepard."  
  
"Me neither. But what about Corinne? Who is she?" Marik met Daemon's black eyes for a moment before telling him the story.  
  
"Angel moved here about three years ago. She left behind a group called the Night Raiders-" he started to explain.  
  
"The Night Raiders? Isn't that the vampire gang from Circle Midnight?" Daemon interrupted. The lamia stared at him in surprise.  
  
"You've heard of them?"  
  
"Who hasn't? They specialize in eliminating human gangs and Hunters. And they are good at what they do."  
  
"Right. Angel was their leader. After she left there were three people in charge. One is Alex; a made-vamp from a human gang called The Diablos. Tyrna Goddard is the second one. She's a seventeen year-old lamia and a good friend of Amber and Derrick. The third one who's in charge was a vampire named Corinne."  
  
"What family is she from?" Marik laughed at his friend, burying his head in his hands. He finally calmed down and looked up again. "What's so funny?" Daemon demanded.  
  
"Nothing Daemon, don't worry about it. Corinne isn't a lamia. She's a made-vampire. Angel met her about five years ago, and the two of them discovered Tyrna a year later," Marik continued.  
  
"So why is Corinne working with Gepard?" Marik shrugged and jumped to the ground. He picked up his sword, which was leaning against the base of the tree.  
  
"I don't know. But whatever the reason, it can't be good." The phone rang from inside the house, startling the relative quiet of the afternoon.  
  
"I've got it!" Angel called out as she jogged into the house. A few minutes later she came back out again. "Amber, it's for you."  
  
"Who is it?" her friend asked skeptically. Angel gave her a half- smile.  
  
"It's Tyrna." Amber was up the steps in a flash. The rest of the group squeezed into the living room to hear at least half of the conversation.  
  
"Hi Tyrna, how are you?" Amber wondered, fearing the response.  
  
"As well as can be expected," was the reply.  
  
"What's happening over there? Why is Corinne here?" Tyrna sighed heavily, not sure how to answer the question.  
  
"About a month ago we took out a band of Hunters-"  
  
"Again?"  
  
"Yeah, only five this time though. But Alan was badly hurt. When Alex went to tell Corinne his condition, she broke every bone is his body except his neck. He's just relearning how to walk."  
  
"Great Goddess. How's Amy taking it?" Amy Winston was the witch-vamp of the Night Raiders. She was also Alex's soulmate. Not someone you wanted to piss off.  
  
"Not good. We told Corinne to take a leave of absence for a while to calm down. She refused and went on a rampage, blaming us for Alan's injuries. She threw Amy through a window and Matt got his collarbone broken. My left leg was cracked in three places while John's right wrist was broken when he came to help. Then she just up and left. I was afraid she would go visit you guys. Corinne was still mad at Angel for "abandoning" us two years ago."  
  
"So what can we do? How's Alan now?" The day just kept getting stranger and more complicated.  
  
"He's recovering nicely. A silver knife pierced his lungs, but it wasn't enough to put him out of commission," Tyrna said triumphantly. Amber had to smile at that one. Alan Rasmussen and his older brother Matt were distant cousins to Angel. They were tough lamia boys, and almost nothing could bring them down.  
  
"So what do we do about Corinne?" Tyrna was silent for a full minute, as if she didn't know how to respond.  
  
"Let me ask the others," she finally replied. A few minutes later she came back on the line. "I'm back."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"If she attacks anyone in Circle Starlight, do what you have to. But Amber, give her one for us."  
  
"You got it Tyrna. Go and relax, we'll take care of it," Amber reassured her.  
  
"We owe you one. Thanks Amber. And say hi to Derrick for me." The girls hung up and Amber turned to face her friends.  
  
"What did she say?" Ruby asked impatiently.  
  
"What are we going to do about Corinne?" Sage added. Amber smiled a little too sweetly as she met Angel's navy-blue eyes.  
  
"We can kill the bitch." Derrick pumped his arm up and down.  
  
"Yes!" he exclaimed with joy. Amber, Angel, and Julian stayed inside to discuss what Tyrna had said while everyone else went back outside.  
  
"What's Gepard like?" Jason asked when he and Sage were facing the archery targets again. The other wolf looked at his friend while he aimed and fired. The arrow hit the bulls-eye dead center.  
  
"What do you mean?" Jason shot his own arrow as he replied.  
  
"How does she fight?"  
  
"She fights dirty. Angel knows that, so rules won't apply tonight."  
  
"What about her seconds? Think they'll be a problem?" Both boys smiled. 'Shifters could smell each other's animal, so the three wolves knew exactly what they were up against.  
  
"That Shadoe is a horse, no doubt it," Sage brought up.  
  
"And Cody is definitely a bear," Jason added.  
  
"Such an original name," Ruby commented as she joined them. Then she got a serious look on her face. "But what about the dark beauty in the back? What was she?"  
  
"I think she's a tiger, or maybe a panther," Sage said. Jason disagreed.  
  
"There's something else though. Something underneath the animal."  
  
"Her name is Noel Rammaker, or "rain maker". She's a witch," Kat said sadly as she and Blaise came up.  
  
"Or at least she was a witch," Blaise added cynically. Peter came up to join the group.  
  
"What is she now?" he wondered. Blaise shrugged, but Kat sighed heavily. She didn't want to admit it, but her friends deserved to know.  
  
"She's a tiger." Meanwhile, Austin and Derrick were practicing light hand-to-hand with their daggers.  
  
"What's going to happen tonight, Austin?" the youth asked.  
  
"We fight Gepard's group," Austin replied, a little perplexed at the question. Derrick gave his friend a small half-smile.  
  
"I mean how do we fight? Is it paired-off or a free-for-all? Do we kill or just take prisoners?" Austin looked at him for a second before motioning for Derrick to sit on the lush grass. When both boys were seated he began to explain Circle Starlight's fighting tactics.  
  
"If the group was mostly human, prisoners might be taken. But if we're fighting Hunters or for area dominance, it's to the death. If each group has equal numbers, we designate pairs. In this case we can't do that because we outnumber Circle Starglow."  
  
"So it's a free-for-all?" Derrick asked, a little excitement in his voice. He figured that those were the best kind of fights.  
  
"Yeah. But Angel might tell you to go after a particular person."  
  
"Who would you go after if you could?" Austin shrugged at the question, not quite sure what Derrick was getting at.  
  
"I don't know. Whoever gets in my way, I guess."  
  
"What about Gepard?" Now he was pushing it. Derrick had found out that by listening to Amber's phone conversations, he could find out info very easily. He had learned that Austin and the cheetah had almost been an item, until Kat had come along. The little witch had captured Austin's heart entirely, leaving no room for anyone else. Kat skipped over to the two boys at that moment, plunking herself down in Austin's lap. She smiled at Derrick and winked at him, causing the inexperienced boy to blush. Well, at least the girls were friendly.  
  
"Amber would kill anyone who touched Gepard before she did," the blonde witch commented.  
  
"You got that right," a voice said from above them. Amber stood with Jason hanging on her shoulders, a dreamy smile on his face. Blaise was running her nails up and down his back, causing him to shiver. She was thoroughly enjoying her toy. A dark voice suddenly whispered in her ear.  
  
"A massage? I didn't know that was one of your talents, my fire."  
  
"I have many talents, Julian," she purred in reply.  
  
"Which you are not going to use on him," Angel told her as Julian laced an arm around her waist. Blaise stopped playing with Jason and stood pouting at the vampire princess.  
  
"You'd get him back," she promised.  
  
"Get a life, Blaise," Angel teased.  
  
"I'd rather get a new toy." Ruby looked at her watch and then up at the sky. The sun was a burnt orange as it sank below the trees.  
  
"We'd better get going," she noted dryly. They set out for the clearing, weapons at the ready. The setting sun cast shadows through the woods, creating patches of darkness which the group used to their advantage. At five minutes to eight they entered the grassy space. Gepard and her nine companions were waiting. They carried no weapons.  
  
"Lose 'em," Angel ordered as they dropped them on the ground.  
  
"So good of you to come, Angel," Corinne smirked, her eyes secretly laughing at all of them.  
  
"Can we get this over with? I did have other plans for tonight." Blaise caught the look she sent Julian. It just wasn't fair that Angel had gotten to him first. Gepard bowed mockingly to her.  
  
"As you wish, oh wise princess. Let's play a little game. Catch and kill sounds fun right now."  
  
"We didn't come to play tag," Austin reminded her. Cody looked down at him, trying to look sinister. Blaise just thought he looked cute.  
  
"But we did," the big 'shifter replied.  
  
"We need to review the rules," Sage brought up.  
  
"Rules? What are those?" Gepard asked. Circle Starglow started laughing, and it was not a pretty sound.  
  
"Rule one: This fight is a free-for-all," Angel said as they went silent.  
  
"Rule two: No prisoners," Corinne added.  
  
"Rule three: Let Peter use his knife," Amber said. When Corinne and Gepard just shrugged, he picked up his knife from the pile.  
  
"Rule four: You can't use the weapons. Only the little human can," Gepard told them.  
  
"Any more rules you need to go over?" Shadoe asked with scorn. Everyone shook their heads.  
  
"Then let's get on with it," Noel said in exasperation. Black eyes glittered like two onyx stones, accenting her olive skin. Her oil-black hair was in a tight bun. Noel was a dark witch from Circle Midnight, and she wouldn't think twice about destroying her former sisters.  
  
"Unity Noel," Kat said a little too sweetly. The tiger glared at her.  
  
"Hello kitten." Kat stiffened at the mention of her nickname. Only Angel and Blaise ever used it, although everyone knew it. Noel made it seem dirty somehow. Gepard took a moment to introduce the five other people under her control. The three figures stepped out of the shadows and into the waning light. The two boys were twins, identical and apparently inseparable. Their dark-red hair looked like old blood, and smelled like it too. Watery-blue eyes stood out in their strong, tan faces. Maybe Blaise would make an exception to the "no prisoners" rule if all the men were this scrumptious-looking. But the girl in between the twins would have to go. Her dark-brown hair fell in scraggly strands to her chin, accenting her round face. Gray eyes snapped and cracked with a life all their own. Blaise's burning eyes had earned her Julian's nickname of "my fire". Hey, if Angel was his "angel", she could certainly be his fire.  
  
"That's Jake and Jared, along with their "trainer", Jenny," Gepard explained. Like they really cared what any of their names were? The last two figures stepped into the light, revealing -to Blaise's delight- more boys!  
  
"This must be my lucky night," she whispered to the other girls. They just smiled and nodded. The bigger of the two boys stood as still as stone. When he moved, his muscles rippled under his skin like waves on a lake. Tawny- gold hair stuck out from his head like a bushy mane. His golden eyes were those of an experienced hunter; showing only what he wanted you to see. Right now they showed confidence.  
  
"Lion," Jason whispered to Sage. He just nodded and motioned towards the twins and their girl.  
  
"Wolves and a panther."  
  
"The last guy is a hawk," Ruby pointed out. The three of them focused their attention on the short teen. His reddish-brown hair was streaked with blonde tips, but it looked completely natural on him. Eyes of amber darted around the cleared space; forever alert to new threats.  
  
"This is Anthony, And this kingly man is Ralph," Corinne said as she put her arms around their shoulders. Ralph was so tall that even standing on tiptoe she could barely reach him.  
  
"Stop wasting time," Marik complained. Ralph tried to shoot him a look, but Julian caught his eyes instead.  
  
'I will take great pleasure in dethroning the king,' he whispered in Angel's mind. She turned and winked at him.  
  
"On your mark…" Gepard began the countdown.  
  
"Get set…" Corinne continued it.  
  
"Attack!" Angel yelled suddenly. Circle Starglow paused for a brief moment, but that was all Starlight needed. The fight began as they rushed at the group who would dare try and usurp them. 


	4. Goes to Circle Starglow

1.1.1 Chapter 4  
  
1.1.2  
  
1.1.3 All of the 'shifters had changed by the time the fighting started. A red-tailed hawk swooped above the melee, searching for targets. The five wolves began to fight among themselves by biting and scratching; rolling over each other in order to get a good grip. Austin and Kat faced off against a snarling Bengal tiger. "Noel, are you sure you want to fight us?" Kat asked. The response was an angry roar.  
  
1.1.4 "I was hoping she'd do that," Austin mused. Meanwhile, Blaise and Derrick were sizing up the sleek, black panther.  
  
1.1.5 "Just make sure she doesn't bite you," he cautioned. A bolt of lightning flashed from the witch's hand and struck the big cat, causing her to scream and leap backwards.  
  
1.1.6 "Guess she didn't know I could bite," Blaise said wickedly. Derrick found himself grinning at her, realizing he could get used to this kind of life. Anthony was still scanning the battle in search of a victim. He finally found one and rocketed down, talons straight out and beak open in a screech. His talons ripped deeply into Daemon's forearm, spraying blood into the air.  
  
1.1.7 "Son of a bitch!" Daemon screamed, holding his wounded arm to his chest. Anthony hovered a few feet above the ground, seeming to grin at the wounded witch. A second later a dark shape grabbed the hawk out of mid- air and shook him violently. Jason had come to the aid of his friend. Ruby and Sage were handling the twins.  
  
1.1.8 "Daemon?" Amber called out in alarm. She was busy holding Gepard down and trying to bite the squirming cheetah.  
  
1.1.9 "I'm okay!" he called back. Marik had his hands full with a huge brown bear, matching him muscle for muscle. Just as long as nothing bit him, Daemon could help. "Need a hand, Marik?" he asked almost casually.  
  
1.1.10 "YES!" Together the two teens shoved Cody back and proceeded to press their advantage. Angel and Corinne were sort of duking it out. Every time Angel hit Corinne she would vanish into the shadows. When the made- vamp went looking for her, Angel would reappear and hit her again. At least one of them was enjoying herself. Julian had originally been after Ralph, but the lion had eluded him for the moment. Instead he came face to face with a midnight-black horse.  
  
1.1.11 "Hello Shadoe," he greeted her politely. She neighed and pawed the ground, her shiny black hooves dancing on the grass.  
  
1.1.12 "Shadoe!" Corinne yelled as Angel knocked her off her feet.  
  
1.1.13 "You seem nervous, so I'll cut you a deal. You pick your poison," Julian offered the 'shifter. A minute later Ruby, Sage, and Jason were at his side. He bent down and scratched Sage between the ears. "It appears our young equine friend is deathly afraid of wolves attacking her. Don't disappoint me." The three wolves began to circle the horse, growling and nipping at her legs. Shadoe whinnied in terror, but none of her friends could help. Austin and Kat were holding Noel at bay, and Corinne was still looking for Angel. Marik and Daemon were keeping Cody busy while Blaise and Derrick had Jenny up a tree. Amber was wrestling with Gepard, and apparently enjoying herself. Jake, Jared, and Anthony were too hurt to move. Just then a blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the woods. Ruby shifted back halfway and yelled into the darkness.  
  
1.1.14 "Peter!" It was his scream that had ripped through the night. Ralph stood over his still body, his jaws dripping blood. Peter's shoulder was chewed up and his leg was badly mangled.  
  
1.1.15 "Oh Isis, he bit him," Kat whispered. They forgot about their own fights and ran to their fallen friend. Ruby, back in full human form, reached him first. Ralph loped back to his comrades, and they took their wounded and vanished into the night. Circle Starlight was too busy to notice. Angel had found a pulse and determined he was breathing.  
  
1.1.16 "Shit! He just had to go and ruin the fun," she quipped. Ruby let the comment go. She knew it was just Angel's way of blowing off steam.  
  
1.1.17 "Let's go back to the house," Sage suggested. He, Daemon, Marik, and Austin each picked him up carefully and began the walk back through the woods. Jason walked in front of them, his senses fully alert. Derrick and Julian walked behind the group, guarding the rear. The girls fanned out around them, creating an impenetrable wall. Everyone was silent as they trudged back home. They reached the porch and Angel opened the double-French doors to make room for the boys. She tugged gently on Jason's tail, pulling him to a halt.  
  
1.1.18 "No shedding on my carpet," she informed him. He nodded and melted into a puddle, whereupon his human shape rose and reformed.  
  
1.1.19 "That better?" She nodded and allowed him inside. He shut the doors and locked them behind him.  
  
1.1.20 "You boys go upstairs for a while," Blaise ordered them.  
  
1.1.21 "Daemon, your arm is a mess," Amber noted. He looked down and saw she was right. The top of his right forearm was torn and sliced so deep that the muscle was visible. Blood had soaked through his black T-shirt where he had held his arm to his chest.  
  
1.1.22 "We'll work on it," Sage assured her as the boys trooped up the stairs and left the girls to work. Marik and Jason dragged Daemon into the bathroom to clean him up. Derrick and Austin sat on one of the guest beds to quietly discuss the fight. Sage stood by the window and stared into the night.  
  
1.1.23 "It's not your fault," a deep voice said behind him. Julian's leather jacket rustled whenever he moved. He put a hand lightly on Sage's shoulder.  
  
1.1.24 "I didn't know you gave pep talks."  
  
1.1.25 "I don't. But my angel would be upset if you did something foolish because you blame yourself for this."  
  
1.1.26 "I should've been there to help him. I should've done something."  
  
1.1.27 "Peter knew the risk of coming. He knew what might happen," Julian told him wisely. "You have witnessed death hundreds of times. Why would his bother you so much?" Sage turned around and faced the Shadow Man.  
  
1.1.28 "Because I should've known better than to let him come. I knew what we were fighting against. Humans can't possibly win against monsters like that." Julian sighed and looked out the window, gazing at the silvery crescent moon. He and Sage often got into heated debates about humans through the years, and he knew that Sage understood them better than most Old-Souls ever cared to.  
  
1.1.29 "And if you had kept him home, he would've felt guilty if someone had been hurt, or worse."  
  
1.1.30 "You two sound like a bad philosophy program," Austin interrupted.  
  
1.1.31 "Yeah, Plato meets Virgil," Derrick added. At that point Amber's crew joined them and the conversation turned towards the unfinished fight.  
  
1.1.32 "They'll want revenge now for their three friends," Sage noted. "And we'll want revenge for Peter and Daemon," Marik replied, throwing himself across the bed.  
  
1.1.33 "And now we're one short. Probably two because Ruby will stay behind to guard him," Jason said angrily.  
  
1.1.34 "But we got three of them," Austin argued. Derrick noticed his sister watching them from the stairs, but he didn't reveal her presence.  
  
1.1.35 "We have every right to finish what we started," Daemon was saying.  
  
1.1.36 "That's a great idea. And while we're at it, why don't we hang target signs on our backs?" Sage asked sarcastically.  
  
1.1.37 "Sage, he has a point," Marik spoke up. Daemon and Jason sat down next to him, the witch making sure the sling rested comfortably on his neck.  
  
1.1.38 "The fight is over unless the leaders call it again," Julian pointed out.  
  
1.1.39 "This is not over," Jason growled back. Austin pointed an accusing finger at all three of them.  
  
1.1.40 "Just because Amber has a personal score to settle with Gepard doesn't mean we all have to crash and burn!"  
  
1.1.41 "But aren't we a group?" Derrick pointedly asked.  
  
1.1.42 "Look, if Amber wants to go after the cheetah then she can do it alone." Without a word Amber vanished from the stairs. They heard the door open as voices began arguing.  
  
1.1.43 "Are you crazy?" Kat yelled.  
  
1.1.44 "Don't be stupid, Amber," Ruby warned.  
  
1.1.45 "They'll ambush you, so don't even think about it," Angel added. The boys all gave each other silent looks before thundering down the stairs. Amber was at the front door, Ruby and Kat attached to her arms.  
  
1.1.46 "I'm going to finish this fight," she kept telling them.  
  
1.1.47 "Not without us," Daemon told her.  
  
1.1.48 "Gepard will have you killed," Marik put in.  
  
1.1.49 "And besides, we owe ol' Ralph a few wounds for Peter," Sage commented, clenching his fists.  
  
1.1.50 "But Austin said the rest of you didn't want to crash and burn because I had a score to settle with Gepard." Kat shot a look at him and he hung his head. He hadn't known she'd been listening.  
  
1.1.51 "I'm sorry, Amber. It's just that we're all skittish about what happened tonight," he apologized.  
  
1.1.52 "Besides, those three wouldn't have let you walk out there alone," Blaise observed, indicating Marik, Daemon, and Jason. The blonde lamia stopped struggling and hugged her little entourage.  
  
1.1.53 "Hey, I would've helped too!" Derrick whined. Amber ruffled his hair and hugged him too. Then she faced the group.  
  
1.1.54 "We'll finish this fight together." They all smiled wickedly. 


	5. Round 2...

Chapter 5  
  
"So how are we going to finish this?" Derrick wanted to know. Everyone fell silent as they looked at Angel.  
  
"Don't look at me. Someone else can go tell little-miss-massacre that we're rechallenging her." Julian bowed to her.  
  
"Allow me, my angel." Without another word he vanished.  
  
"Neat trick," Austin quipped. The group trooped wearily into the living room. Peter lay sleeping on the couch-bed, bandages covering his left arm and leg. Ruby curled up beside him, her hand resting lightly on his back. Sage went to sleep at their feet after shifting to full wolf form. Daemon lay back on a bunch of pillows, Amber snuggled into the crook of his good arm. Marik and Jason laid their heads on her waist, her arms around them protectively. Derrick lay near her head, preferring the closeness of the Circle to solitude tonight.  
  
"Goodnight Derrick," Austin whispered as he and Kat lay down on his other side, their arms around each other.  
  
"Night Austin." Julian walked out of the shadows and into the room.  
  
"Show off," Blaise told him. He just smiled at her and met her eyes.  
  
"Tomorrow night at nine. It will be a call-out," he said to them. Angel nodded, a yawn taking the place of words.  
  
"Fine. Though all this dominance crap is getting annoying." Julian lay on his side and propped his head on his arm.  
  
"I couldn't agree more. But if we had not rechallenged them, they would have come to us." Angel lay down beside him, a frown on her face.  
  
"I hate when you're right about this stuff. Oh well, 'till tomorrow night," she murmured, drifting off into sleep's embrace. Blaise lay down on Julian's other side.  
  
"Sleep tight, Jules," she whispered in his ear.  
  
"You too, my fire," he whispered back. Blaise nodded off with a contented smile on her lips.  
  
* * *  
  
There was blood everywhere. All over the ground, the trees, and Amber's clothes. Bodies lay scattered around the clearing, their lifeless eyes staring at everything and yet seeing nothing. Sage's furry body lay on top of another wolf, his neck torn open. Daemon lay next to Marik, a knife protruding from his stomach. Marik had a stake through his heart. She tried to close her eyes, but the image of Austin and Kat's charred corpses was burned into her mind already. Someone had taken Marik's sword and hacked Julian into five or six pieces. His head lay by Angel's mutilated body, tears streaming down his face. Ruby had a hole in her chest the size of a softball, and Peter had been eviscerated. Jason looked like a pincushion; with arrows stuck into every part of his body. Blaise's neck had been broken, and her beautiful face gave the illusion that she was sleeping. Derrick's heart had been ripped from his chest. Amber could still hear his dying scream. "Amber, help me!" he had cried out. Amber fell to her knees beside her brother's body.  
  
"NO! Not Derrick too! Why!" she screamed at no one in particular.  
  
"Amber, wake up," a voice smashed into her thoughts. But she was too busy watching a shape rise from a pile of bodies. A shape with two legs, claws on her hands, and an evil smile on her lips.  
  
"Now you're mine," Gepard crooned. Her mouth open in a wordless scream, Amber's voice held fear, grief, and anger all rolled into one.  
  
"Amber, come back!" a deeper voice begged. But Gepard came at her full force, like a bullet train.  
  
"Your friends can't save you now!" she yelled, raking her claws down Amber's face and laughing.  
  
"Amber!" someone screamed as the dream tore itself apart. The young lamia realized someone was shaking her awake. She opened her eyes and saw the whole group staring at her. Well, everyone except Peter. Then she realized Daemon was holding her. He had been the one to shake her back into reality.  
  
"What happened?" she asked softly, sitting up a little.  
  
"You were dreaming," Derrick explained.  
  
"No, it wasn't just a dream." Marik lightly touched her cheek and his fingers came away streaked with blood. He quickly licked it off his fingers without even thinking.  
  
"You can say that again." Amber scrambled to her feet and looked in the nearest mirror. Fresh claw marks were on her left cheek.  
  
"What in hell?"  
  
"Interesting choice of words," Julian commented.  
  
"What happened?" Angel demanded. Amber spoke only one word, but it was enough to make them understand.  
  
"Gepard." Blaise raised her eyebrows for a moment.  
  
"She's a powerful little wench, isn't she?" she asked, wondering how Gepard had invaded Amber's dream and caused her physical harm.  
  
"Noel must've helped her," Austin brought up.  
  
"Nasty!" Kat yelled, spitting out the word like it was dirty.  
  
"Nasty doesn't quite cover it," Jason surmised as he patted Amber's hand. Now Gepard had gone too far.  
  
"Why would Gepard invade Amber's dreams?" Ruby asked.  
  
"To scare me. I had a vision right before Silver was killed," Amber replied. They were all silent for a moment. Silver Virgata had been a white tiger and a tough fighter. A year ago a wing of Circle Midnight's warriors had ambushed the group. They had tried to take out the seemingly neutral Circle. Silver had been killed by a witch; her burned body hardly recognizable. Everyone who had known the spunky 'shifter had mourned her passing. Sage was sorting things out in his head.  
  
"So you think that Gepard did it to see if we would back down?"  
  
"That sounds like a pretty good guess to me," Marik put in.  
  
"We're not backing down, are we?" Derrick wondered. Daemon shook his head.  
  
"Not a chance in Tartarus."  
  
"So now what do we do?" Austin asked, his eyes looking at everyone.  
  
"The plans haven't changed," Angel told him.  
  
"But what's tonight's format?" Kat wanted to know. Julian sat down on an oak chair, draping a black-jean-clad leg over one arm.  
  
"A call-out," he replied.  
  
"A what?" Derrick perplexedly asked.  
  
"A call-out. The challenged group picks people to fight. No one can interfere once the partners have been established," Blaise explained.  
  
"It's to the death," Sage added.  
  
"But we can also invoke the "choose" rule," Ruby brought up. Derrick still had a confused look on his face.  
  
"You can choose a weapon or a champion to take your place. So if a member of Starglow called me out, I could pick, let's say knives or Sage," Jason lectured to the young man.  
  
"Oh, I get it now," the vampire assured him.  
  
"What time do we have to be there?" Daemon asked after a few minutes of silence.  
  
"Nine o'clock," was Julian's answer.  
  
"It's almost quarter to nine now. We'd better get going," Marik stated.  
  
"I'll stay here with Peter," Ruby offered. Angel just shrugged and led the others out the door.  
  
"We'll be back," Kat promised. The look of contained fear in her eyes didn't convince the wolf.  
  
"I hope she's right," she said to the sleeping human. He didn't move.  
  
* * *  
  
It was five minutes to nine when Starlight stepped into the clearing, weapons at the ready. Five minutes later Starglow showed up. "Glad to see you're on time for once," Cody quipped. Angel looked him up and down, and then finally glared at him with dark-brown eyes.  
  
"Cut the shit and get on with it," she ordered. Sage and Jason noticed that only Anthony was missing.  
  
"Where's your hawk?" Jason asked. Noel fixed her stony eyes on him.  
  
"He's recuperating from what you did to him." Her voice carried an undercurrent of power, as if she could wound with just her words.  
  
"Start the call-out," Gepard suddenly said. Both sides sized up the other one, neither wanting to make the first move.  
  
"I've got the Shadow Man," Ralph stated after letting the silence thicken for a few minutes.  
  
"We've got the wolves," Jake and Jared added in unison. Jenny and Blaise locked eyes for a moment.  
  
"I want her," the panther told her friends.  
  
"Kat is mine." Noel stared at the small witch with a smile of satisfaction on her face. Austin was not happy.  
  
"Don't worry, Austin. I'll choose magick as my weapon," Kat said.  
  
"I'll always worry about you, Kat. But I'm sure you'll kick her furred fanny," he whispered in her ear. Meanwhile, it was Cody's turn to pick.  
  
"The quiet vampire is all for me." Marik gave him an evil grin.  
  
"Let me play with the one-armed witch," Shadoe begged. Daemon was both surprised and pleased at her choice.  
  
"I get Angel," Corinne spoke up. The vampire princess just shrugged.  
  
"Hey, it's your funeral, babe." Amber held back a giggle. Now it was Gepard's turn to pick.  
  
"I choose… Derrick." A few members of Starlight gasped in shock, but Derrick thought of a quick plan.  
  
"No way. I'm invoking the "choose" rule. I pick Amber as my champion." He took his sister's hand and sighed heavily.  
  
"Damnit!" Gepard cursed. Amber smiled a little too sweetly at her.  
  
"Sorry Gepard, but you'll actually have to fight tonight," she mock- apologized. The cheetah was fuming at her.  
  
"You won't be so cocky when the fight is over!"  
  
"Speaking of fights, let's get it on!" Jared yelled. Austin pulled Derrick out of the way. Kat motioned towards the trees and both boys scrambled into the branches of a tall oak.  
  
"What happens now, Austin?"  
  
"Now we watch." He didn't seem very happy to be watching. 'Now I know how Peter must feel,' he added to himself. The groups paired off and faced each other. Gepard was grinning devilishly at Amber.  
  
"Did you sleep well?" The lamia just glared at her, eyes as cold as glacial ice. Noel suddenly leaped at Kat, shifting to a tiger in mid-spring. The small witch ducked and rolled out of the way. The battle had begun. 


	6. Goes to Circle Starlight

Chapter 6  
  
Shadoe charged Daemon in an attempt to trample him. A protective shield of fire around him stopped her cold. 'Hey!' she yelled silently.  
  
"Na-na-na-na-na!" he taunted her. The 'shifters were now using telepathy to communicate, but everyone in the clearing could still hear them.  
  
'Just try and hit me again,' Jenny crooned. Blaise bowed to her mockingly, a smile on her lips.  
  
"Whatever you say, dearie." She quickly threw a boomerang of green fire at the panther, but the black feline jumped over it.  
  
'Missed me!' Blaise said nothing as her gray eyes tracked the weapon's flight path. It struck Jenny on the back of the head, and she roared in protest. The witch smiled sweetly.  
  
"No I didn't." Sage and Jason came face to face with the twins.  
  
'Where's your third?' Jake asked.  
  
'Oh that's right. Ralph chewed up her lover,' Jared added. Jason growled and glared at him.  
  
'Don't talk about our friends that way.' He and Sage charged them, noticing they couldn't pivot well on their hind legs. Sage darted in and bit Jared's hip, feeling the bone pop out of place. Jason tried to do the same, but Jake tore into his side. The black wolf howled in pain and collapsed, unable to stand up anymore.  
  
"Jason!" Daemon yelled to his friend. A wall of energy protected Jason, but left the witch vulnerable. Shadoe kicked him across the clearing.  
  
'Stupid. Very stupid,' she whispered in his mind. Kat paused in her blocking for an instant to look for her friend. Noel used that time to knock the girl to the ground.  
  
"Help!" she screamed in panic. Austin almost went to help her, but Derrick held him back.  
  
"She knows you can't help her," he wisely stated. Austin nodded sadly and went back to watching the fight. Blaise tried to run to Kat's aid, but Jenny landed on her with a flying tackle.  
  
'Oh no, you don't,' she warned. Blaise struggled futilely.  
  
"Get off me, you furry freak!" Angel kept her eyes on Corinne, not wanting to make a mistake. She was aware of a presence behind her only a nanosecond before large arms locked onto her.  
  
"All hail the princess," Anthony whispered wickedly. Corinne helped him hold her down.  
  
"You cheated, you worthless vermin!" Angel spat out.  
  
"You guessed it," Corinne admitted sweetly. Cody and Marik were grappling on the ground, each one trying to strangle the other.  
  
'You vampires think you're hot stuff? Well, 'shifters are ten times better than you!' Marik hissed at him, almost like an agitated cobra. His fangs were needle-sharp, ready to sink into the bear's flesh. He found a position and darted in lightning-quick, his canines piercing Cody's neck.  
  
'Slowpoke,' he taunted. But then he felt something rip into his stomach and legs. He had forgotten Cody's hind claws. Marik screamed in agony as the bear pinned him down.  
  
"Marik!" Amber cried out, trying to throw Gepard off her. Her nails dug into the cheetah's shoulders as she raked scratches down the length of the cat's body. Gepard slashed her legs, going deep where the muscles were.  
  
'Now who's the vermin?' she demanded. Sage had backed up towards Jason to protect his injured friend from the other two wolves. Jared hobbled along painfully, but Jake was the bigger threat. Julian and Ralph had disappeared, and no one else could help.  
  
'I'm in serious trouble,' he told himself. Just then the twins both launched themselves at him. Sage was saying his prayers when a red streak knocked Jake out of the air. The startled Old-Soul wasted no time in biting Jared's neck as hard as he could. The dark-red wolf fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. Ruby had broken Jake's back.  
  
'You okay, Sage? Jason?' she asked, her voice heavy with concern. Austin and Derrick dropped down from the tree to stand beside them.  
  
"How's Peter?" they asked in unison.  
  
'He's doing better.' A lion roared in triumph, spooking everyone.  
  
"Well, it looks like Ralph made short work of your Shadow Man," Corinne observed. Angel hissed at her. Sure enough, the lion came trotting back into the clearing.  
  
'Is Julian dead?' Gepard asked. Ralph nodded slowly. Blaise screamed her grief shrilly. Jenny shook her to shut her up, scratching her arms in the process. Austin attempted to reach for Kat, but Noel growled.  
  
'Back off, fang-face,' she warned. He stayed where he was, meeting Kat's eyes and conveying his emotions to her.  
  
'We win,' Shadoe stated, her hooves planted on either side of Daemon. He just lay there, struggling to breathe. Ralph stood beside Corinne, allowing her to stroke his mane. Then he stood behind Anthony.  
  
'Now that it's over, we get to kill you,' Cody informed Marik as he licked up some of the vampire's dark blood.  
  
"We did it! We beat Circle Star-" Anthony began. Suddenly his face paled and blood dripped down the corner of his mouth. He fell to the ground and everyone saw the deep claw marks in his back. The lion roared angrily and went after Jenny. Julian materialized and grabbed Corinne. Sage and Ruby went after Shadoe while Austin threw Noel off Kat. The witch hugged him and then faced the tiger.  
  
"Feel the power of the sun. There's nowhere left for you to run," she chanted. A ball of flame flew from her hands and incinerated Noel. Kat dropped to her knees and cried. "That was for Silver, Midnight witch," she whispered as Austin squeezed her shoulders. Angel pulled Blaise to her feet.  
  
"You all right?" The femme fatale smoothed her hair and straightened her wine-red blouse, making sure to avoid the scratches.  
  
"Move aside, lion!" she called out. Then she chanted a spell as well. "By the forge of Hephaestus, I bind you with steel! Silver as well, and I'll make you kneel!" Shackles appeared on Jenny's legs, immobilizing her. Blaise turned to Angel and smiled brightly. "I'm fine now." Meanwhile Sage and Ruby jumped on Shadoe, biting and slashing the terrified horse.  
  
'Shadoe!' Cody yelled as he lumbered over. The lion blocked his path while Austin jumped on his back.  
  
"You're history, grizzly!" Amber crawled across the clearing to Marik, thankful that Gepard had left to go help Corinne.  
  
"Marik, speak to me," she begged. He turned his head and smiled at her, his gray eyes filled with pain.  
  
"Hello," he replied softly. She ran her hand over his side, seeing his lower body almost torn apart. Amber kissed his cheek and reached for Daemon's hand. His breath was wheezy and labored, his ribs having been broken by Shadoe's crippling kick.  
  
"I'm okay," he reassured her.  
  
"Don't talk," she ordered him, placing her finger lightly over his mouth. Jason inched his way over, laying his furry head in her lap. She just sat there and stroked his fur. Cody collapsed to the ground with Austin's dagger in the side of his neck.  
  
"Stupid animal," Austin said in disgust, climbing off the bear and licking his hand clean of blood. Suddenly Gepard came crashing into the clearing, teeth bared in a snarl. Her eyes smoldered as she looked at Ralph.  
  
'You betrayed us!' she accused him. Instead of answering, the lion simply reformed. Much to everyone's surprise, "Ralph" was really Peter!  
  
"I didn't betray you," he argued. The three wolves shifted back as well, although Jason was in serious pain. The cheetah screamed in anger and launched herself at Derrick, who was the closest to her.  
  
'Say goodbye, Johnson!' she yelled silently. But just before she could land, she stopped short in mid-air. A sword stuck out of her back and a dagger was in her chest. Gepard fell to the earth and never moved again.  
  
1.1.1.1 "Goodbye bitch," Amber and Derrick said in unison. Julian walked out from the bushes, dragging Corinne's body. He threw it next to Gepard.  
  
1.1.1.2 "That was for the Night Raiders." Angel and Blaise both hugged him.  
  
"Let's get the hell out of here. I just want to light some candles, take and bath, and relax," Angel told them. Everyone nodded and the group limped back through the woods towards home. They were a little worse for the wear, but otherwise victorious. 


	7. Celebration

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Epilogue  
  
"Watch it, Amber, I still have those stitches," Marik warned as she hugged him around the waist. She pulled back with a sheepish grin.  
  
"Sorry." Daemon hugged her tight with one arm, the other in a cast.  
  
"I guess that means we get to keep her longer," he commented. Jason's face lit up as Marik frowned a little, but they all laughed at the joke.  
  
"What's so funny?" Blaise asked as she joined them.  
  
"Oh nothing," Jason replied. They all started giggling again. Blaise rolled her eyes and walked away.  
  
"Too weird." Kat and Austin were snuggling on the couch, completely oblivious to everything around them. Angel and Julian stepped into the room and waited for everyone to be silent. No one paid them any attention.  
  
"Julian?" Angel asked politely. He smiled and snapped his fingers. Instantly the room was transformed. Stone walls replaced the sheetrock and wallpaper. The couches and chairs became elegant oak-and-upholstered furniture. Persian rugs decorated the gray floor with vibrant colors.  
  
"I love the redecorating," Ruby gushed, admiring her new outfit. The gown was of a vibrant emerald cloth, while the surcoat was a shade darker. Matching slippers covered her graceful feet. Peter was in doeskin pants and a brown, long-sleeved shirt with green fibers woven into it. The black boots that went to his knees were of soft leather.  
  
"Cool duds," he noted with satisfaction. The other boys were admiring their outfits as well. Derrick was in a jade-green, short-sleeved shirt that tied together in the front. They were all in deerskin pants and black leather boots. Marik wore a gray rabbit-skin vest which artfully hid the stitches. The pants were a little loose to accommodate the tight stitches that ran from the middle of his chest to his lower thighs. He was grateful his body would fully heal.  
  
"Oh wow, real furniture," he quipped, laying down carefully on the forest- green couch. Amber sat down next to him as he laid his head in her lap. She wore a white midriff top with short sleeves and a matching skirt that fell to her knees. An ice-blue cape which hit her at the waist and knee-high boots of the same color completed the outfit. Her hair hung in soft waves around her face.  
  
"This rabbit fur is so soft," she murmured, settling back into the cushions. Daemon perched on the arm of the couch, his tan hand on her pale one. His shirt was a coal-black which matched his eyes. Jason sat by Amber's feet, his head resting on her knee. The short-sleeved shirt he wore was deep emerald with black threads scattered throughout the cloth.  
  
"You're not that old, Marik," he remarked, referring to the vampire's comment about the furniture. Sage smiled from his place on the floor. He had on a brown, hooded robe that looked like original Druidic clothing. No shoes were on his feet.  
  
"But I am, Jason." Derrick raised an eyebrow as he mentally dated Sage's outfit. He knew the Old-Soul had already been old when the Druids and their practices sprang up.  
  
"Well, aren't you special," Kat teased, finally breaking gently away from Austin's embrace. She wore a mahogany-brown midriff top with no sleeves. The navy-blue skirt came to her knees, where boots matching the shirt took over. An amethyst hung on a gold chain between her breasts.  
  
"Pretty," Austin sighed as he leaned over her. His long-sleeve shirt was the color of straw, just a little but lighter than his hair. But as lovely and dangerous as they all looked, the trio of Angel, Julian, and Blaise put them all to shame. The dark witch wore a short, black-velvet dress which hit her at mid-thigh. High-heeled black-leather boots covered her shins, showing off her sleek, pale legs. A wine-red cape hung off one shoulder and fell to her waist. She sat down on the arm of a chair, a devilish smile on her lips.  
  
"It's nice to be noticed," she purred, knowing that everyone in the room was looking at her.  
  
"Yeah baby!" Derrick cheered, never taking his eyes off her.  
  
"Perhaps you have too much heat, my fire," Julian suggested as he sat in the chair she was perched on. Black leather completely encased his legs, from the tight pants to the knee-high boots. A long-sleeved, white-silk shirt brought out the moonlight quality of his hair. A ruby pendant hung on a silver chain and spilled out of the collar. His black cape swept the floor. Ruby and Amber watched him closely.  
  
"Would you like to take some of my heat, Jules?" Blaise put one long leg into his lap, thoroughly enjoying herself. Julian didn't seem to be minding the view either.  
  
"Mine," Angel succinctly said as she lightly slapped Blaise's leg. The witch pouted but moved the elegant limb back to the floor. The vampire princess smiled sweetly and faced the group, one hand resting on Julian's shoulder. She wore a purple dress that fell a little past her knees and an amethyst pendant hung from her neck. Delicate black slippers covered her feet. A diamond tiara gleamed from atop a pile of curls. More of her perm tumbled back down to her hips. She looked every bit the goddess she was.  
  
"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful," Peter joked. Ruby elbowed him softly in the ribs.  
  
"No, envy me," Angel shot back. Blaise rolled her stormcloud eyes.  
  
"Can we get on with it?" Julian patted her arm and frowned slightly.  
  
"I asked you all here for two reasons. One is so that we could make sure everyone was still alive," Angel explained.  
  
"Gee, and all that time I thought you didn't like me," Peter quipped. Sage and Ruby both sent him mental orders to keep quiet.  
  
"The second reason you're all here is so we can celebrate our victory," Julian continued.  
  
"With a hunt?" Jason asked hopefully. Marik leaned over and tapped his friend's side. Layers of bandages covered the deep wound.  
  
"Yeah, like you're really up to it," he noted sarcastically.  
  
"A few of us are not fully healed," Sage stated.  
  
"Exactly. That's why we're staying here to party," Angel added.  
  
"Where's the food?" Austin wanted to know.  
  
"The human food is on the tables," she patiently told him, pointing a slender finger at two tables covered end to end with food. Blaise turned on a stereo, even though it clashed with the décor.  
  
"But before we begin, I propose a toast," Julian interjected. He, Angel, and Blaise passed out glasses filled with dark-red liquid.  
  
"Wine?" Derrick asked. Amber smiled knowingly at her brother.  
  
"Something better." Angel raised her glass.  
  
"To Circle Starlight. May our teeth always be sharp, our claws always lethal, and may our spells never falter."  
  
"To us!" everyone chorused, raising their glasses and drinking. The party had begun. 


End file.
